Columns

There may only be 30 working days in this year’s legislative session, but it already seems like there are about twice as many major issues needing to be addressed before the General Assembly wraps up its work in late March.

Because the state operates under a two-year budget, and our constitution, therefore, requires larger majorities in the House and Senate to “open it up” in odd-numbered years, few of the bills filed have a significant financial impact.

Even so, that does not lessen the importance of those that may become law.

At Champions for a Drug Free Carroll County, we like to celebrate. We celebrate living a drug-free life, and we celebrate when those who need treatment and direction are able to reach out. We also like to celebrate when education and prevention reach lives of young individuals that need it most.

Jan. 25-31, we will be celebrating “National Drug Facts Week.” This is a week of education and prevention within Carroll County Schools and is celebrated nationwide and annually.

Although legislative sessions in odd-numbered years are relatively new in Kentucky - the first was held in 2001 - the General Assembly has long met during the first full week of January in these years to elect House and Senate leaders and update committee assignments.

While the top four leaders in both chambers remained the same last week, there were some changes in the other leadership positions; in fact, nine of the 16 House and Senate leaders are new.

“Creating Kentucky jobs and strengthening Kentucky families” - this is how our caucus defined the overall goals of the Senate this session, and I’m proud to report that four of our priority bills to accomplish those objectives passed the Senate in our first week and are now on the way to the House.

A friend of mine from South Dakota noted that the U.S. Postal Service delivered a lump of coal to many small towns last Christmas when it proceeded to eliminate overnight mail in most of the nation in 2015. That was a good description. USPS will slow delivery officially by one day for First-Class and Periodicals mail. Many members of Congress have asked it to hold off. But USPS is plowing ahead.

It is time for lawmakers to consider how rural and small town mail is suffering.

It is the goal of the Health Matters column to expand the knowledge of the readers of The News-Democrat: To give you, the readers, more real, relevant, current knowledge to further enhance your health, both mentally and physically.

Summer bodies are made in the winter months. With summer around the corner and resolutions kicking in this month, that bathing suit isn’t going to wear itself. It is time to get serious about shedding that excess baggage.